Blog & Articles

When the Helsinki Times reported that immigrants in Finland now pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits, it didn’t surprise me. A new study from Diaconia University of Applied Sciences found that foreign-language speakers contributed a net €225 million to public finances last year. It’s the first time national data has clearly shown that immigrants are, in fact, helping sustain the Finnish welfare system — not draining it.

If I were asked how I would describe the Finnish language, I would say it is *sui generis*. Finnish is indeed distinct—its origins and structure differ significantly from its neighboring Indo-European languages. In this article, I recount my own learning experience to humanize the journey, list the references I used, and share the advice I would give myself at each stage.

Discover the best Finnish podcasts to boost your language learning. From easy Finnish news to finance, culture and language learning podcasts, here’s how I used podcasts to reach fluency in one year.

I have been having a slowly growing burning feeling in the back of my head to do something for a while now, especially to help other immigrants learn Finnish and thrive in Finland. I think it started when I heard of the concept of reparenting oneself, i.e., providing for yourself the physical and emotional needs you wish you had as a child but didn't receive.